Ocean, nature, critters, and recreation

May 10, 2013

Dramatic hawk-raven battle photographed off Palos Verdes

A group of fourth-graders visiting the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in the hope of spotting whales on Thursday instead witnessed an incredible duel between red-tailed hawks and two ravens that apparently were interested in the hawks' nest and three fledglings.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who directs the ACS-LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project at the center on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, captured the aerial skirmish during a lull in whale sightings. (She photographed only one of the two hawks.)

She posted seven images on her Facebook page and we've picked three of the best for this post.

With the photos was this description: "Fight in the skies! Hawk defends its nest and three fledglings from two persistent harassing ravens at our gray whale census at Pt. Vicente yesterday!"

When I commented that this drama beats the passing of yet another whale, the researcher responded:

"I took these during a BIG lull in whale sightings. They did this aerial combat right in front of a visiting class of fourth grade students, swooping right down in front of them. MUCH more exciting for them than the average whale sighting!"

She added, via email: "It's very hard to get pics in good focus when they are racing by at
high speed, swooping low out of sight and then soaring up high. I've
tried to do so on several different days; this was the first time that I
had any luck."

As for the gray whales, the fourth-graders saw a cow-calf pair but sightings generally are becoming more sporadic as the northbound migration winds down locally.